Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 by David Pandolfe Read Free Book Online

must be smart is all, bro.” At the 
same time, Cs were just enough to keep his mother from freaking on him. Bring
home Ds and Fs, and there would be a different kind of hell to pay.
    Emilio kept his eyes glassy and his head cocked at a
bored angle even as he nearly memorized each point Mr. Posten made about the
story and characters of The Outsiders . The fact was, Emilio had read the
book twice and enjoyed it both times. Freaking hard to believe it had been
written like sixty years ago. Occasionally, Mr. Posten might call on him and
only then would Emilio say something, usually just enough to indicate that he
hadn’t spaced out entirely. Mr. Posten didn’t call on him often, though.
Sometimes, Emilio wondered if Mr. Posten cut him slack on purpose, that he
understood the whole balancing act.
    Apparently, Emilio didn’t appear sufficiently
uninterested. Probably because his eyes remained open. He knew this when he
felt something pelt the back of his head. He looked down to see a crumpled ball
of paper on the floor.
    “Mealy’s into it,” he heard Pablo say.
    Carlos snickered. “Teacher’s freakin’ pet.”
    That was the thing about the South Enders—the gang was
totally pervasive. Emilio didn’t have one class—one moment of his waking life,
for that matter—without one of them breathing down his neck. Thanks to Marcos’
past status with the gang, they breathed hard and loud to be sure he knew he
was being measured at all times.
    Emilio did what he had to do, silently apologizing to Mr.
Posten. He turned and flung his book at Pablo, striking him in the face.
    “Mother—”
    Carlos burst out laughing. “Ooh, he got you good ,
bro.”
    Pablo stared death at Emilio, who still hadn’t turned
away. Emilio wasn’t worried about it. Pablo was a scrawny, little dipshit. It
wasn’t like Emilio wasn’t tough—Marcos had made more than sure his little
brother could hold his own. They’d spent many hours sparring to toughen him up
when he’d just been starting elementary school. Emilio had not provided the
same kind of training for Javier, hoping to somehow break the cycle.
    Mr. Posten spun from the blackboard and stared at Carlos,
then Pablo. “Both of you, out.”
    Carlos pointed at Emilio. “But he—”
    “Out.”
    That was the thing about Mr. Posten, he didn’t mess
around. And the guy had some serious guns—word was he’d once broken up a fight
by dislocating two shoulders.
    Pablo and Carlos screeched their chairs against the
floor, got up and walked toward the door. Pablo made kissing noises at Emilio
as he passed by. Yeah, whatever, Emilio thought. It wasn’t lost on him
that Mr. Posten had pretended not to notice who’d flung the book. But with his
fellow South Enders now out of the room, Emilio could actually pay attention
for a while.
    ~~~
    The bell rang and only then did Emilio retrieve his book
from where it still sat on the floor next to Pablo’s desk. Had Mr. Posten
actually not noticed? Not likely. Still, by the time Emilio got the book into
his backpack he was at the rear of the herd. Mr. Posten’s eyes bored into
Emilio’s as he walked past. Yes, he’d definitely noticed.
    Emilio was almost out at the door when Mr. Posten spoke.
“Emilio, hang on a second.”
    Okay, the hammer was still coming down. Why he’d waited,
Emilio couldn’t guess. But it now looked like Pablo and Carlos got off easy
getting kicked out. Emilio’s guess was detention for him. And South Enders
might sometime show up for class but they sure as hell didn’t stick around for
detention. Emilio wouldn’t have a choice, which would just sink him further
when he was just barely treading water between one world and the other.
    “What?” Emilio wanted to add “Mr. Posten”—after all, his
mother had taught him better—but you never knew who might overhear.
    Mr. Posten sat on his desk and waved Emilio closer.
Emilio did as he was told and took a few steps.
    Mr. Posten kept his voice low. “You can tell your